bp PLC and partners have confirmed use of a gravity-based structure (GBS) for developing Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) LNG’s 2.5-3.0 million tonne/year (tpy) Phase 2 expansion offshore Mauritania and Senegal. The partnership is now working with contractors towards pre-front end engineering and development.
GTA is 120 km offshore in water depth of 2,850 m and holds estimated gas resources of 15 tcf. Phase 1, currently under development, will export gas from four subsea wells to a floating production, storage, and offloading (FPSO) vessel about 40 km offshore at which the gas will be processed for export to a 2.3-million tpy floating LNG plant (FLNG Gimi) 10 km offshore. The FPSO left COSCO Shipping Heavy Industry Co. Ltd.’s Qidong, China, yard last month en route to West Africa, with Phase-1 first gas expected by end 2023 (OGJ Online, Jan. 23, 2023).
GBS LNG developments have a static connection to the seabed with the structure providing LNG storage and a foundation for the liquefication plant. Concept design will also include new wells and subsea equipment, integrating with and expanding existing GTA infrastructure.
The partnership said it will consider powering LNG liquefication using electricity to help lower emissions.
In October 2022, bp signed an exploration and production sharing contract for the nearby 13-tcf BirAllah gas resource in Mauritania. bp also continues to work with partners on development of a gas-to-power project in Senegal based on the Yakaar Teranga resource (20 tcf), also near GTA. Most recently, bp signed an MoU with the Government of Mauritania to explore the potential for large-scale production of green hydrogen in the country.
The GTA partnership consists of bp 61%, Petrosen SA 5%, Société Mauritanienne des Hydrocarbures 5%, and Kosmos Energy Ltd. 29%.
